The Massacre of Tlatelolco - The role of the United States in the incidents of 1968

Seminar paper from the year 2006 in the subject History - America, grade: A, San Diego State University (History Department), course: Modern Mexico, language: English, abstract: The Massacre of Tlatelolco on October the 2nd 1968 on the Plaza de las Tres Culturas is generally acknowledged to have been a watershed for Mexico's history. Some call it Mexico's Tiananmen Square to emphasize the political long of the participants for more democracy. However, it can't be doubted that the massacre was the climax of Mexico's state repression during the 70s. The incidents of Tlatelolco had deep impact on Mexico's political life and on the international perception of Mexico. By these days, Mexico is the biggest Spanish speaking country in Latin America with enormous economic and historical ties to the United States. The Mexican United States common history has often been depicted by mistrust and mutual suspicion. Nevertheless, the relations between the two countries did vary. During the beginning of the 19th century economic cooperation between Porfirio Diaz and the US administration reached a never known efficiency, where as in the 40s during the Lázaro Cardenas administration the expropriation of the Oil industry caused tremendous confrontation. With the degree of cooperation also varied the degree of America influence on Mexico's decision-making process and thus on its history. Due to this constant influence, one who researches the incidents of Tlatelolco therefore has to look on Mexican-American-relations to understand in how far the United States could have been involved or what part the United States has played in the massacre of Tlatelolco.